The Coinage Act of 1890 required that each coin design be in production for a minimum of 25 years. In 1915, U.S. Mint Director Robert W. Woolley misinterpreted the act and determined that no coin design could stay in production
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The Coinage Act of 1890 required that each coin design be in production for a minimum of 25 years. In 1915, U.S. Mint Director Robert W. Woolley misinterpreted the act and determined that no coin design could stay in production
for more than 25 years. Determined that he must replace the Barber Quarter, as it had been in production for almost 25 years, Mr. Woolley requested and was granted permission to redesign the quarter dollar, as well as the dime and the half dollar.

A competition among a limited group of artists was won by American sculptor Herman A. MacNeil. MacNeil was commissioned to design the new quarter. MacNeil's design depicts the figure of Liberty with a shield on her left arm and an olive branch in her right hand, showing America's preparedness for war or peace. Within a year of its appearance the design was modified to cover the figure's exposed breast with a jacket of armor. Today there is disagreement among experts on whether this change was made due to public pressure or if it was just one of the many modifications made to the Standing Liberty Quarter that year, with the jacket of armor symbolizing "military preparedness" during World War I. At that time, the Mint also raised the position of the eagle and rearranged the stars on the reverse of the Standing Liberty Quarter. In 1925 the date was recessed into the pedestal beneath Liberty to prevent it from wearing off in circulation. The Standing Liberty Quarter was minted every year from 1916 to 1930, except 1922. In 1931 there was no need to mint quarter dollars.

1932 was to be President George Washington's 200th birthday and Congress wanted to honor his memory with a commemorative quarter. Congress overrode the Coinage Act of 1890 and replaced the Standing Liberty Quarter with a one year commemorative George Washington Quarter. However, the Washington Quarter proved to be so popular that it ended up replacing the Standing Liberty Quarter.

Standing Liberty Quarters were issued by the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints.